The UCF recruit appeared in the Faces in the Crowd feature in the latest Sports Illustrated (in my mailbox a few days ago, or online over here).

Griffin drew praise for his interception at the recent International Bowl in Texas. That play got him a shout-out in SportsCenter’s Top 10, too.

Griffin is the second Tampa Bay athlete who’s appeared in the weekly feature in the last year. Hernando baseball player Christian Arroyo (a Florida commit) earned the honor after being named the MVP of an international baseball tournament.

USF is playing host to a unique doubleheader Sunday -- entertainment followed by education.

A free collegiate eligibility/recruiting seminar for middle- and high-school athletes, parents, coaches and counselors will be held at the Sun Dome immediately after the Bulls' 2 p.m. men's basketball game against DePaul.

Dan Eassa, a former local TV sports producer-turned-eligibility guru who founded the freerecruitingwebinar.org site, is sponsoring the event in conjunction with USF and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.

Billed as a "Super Seminar," the 90-minute event will touch on a variety of topics including scholarship "myths and facts," NAIA and junior college education, NCAA core course requirements and saving for college.

Though a free event, pre-registration is encouraged. Pre-registrants can choose to make the event an unofficial visit to USF and receive up to three free game tickets. For information, click here.

If Berkeley Prep's boys soccer team hopes to earn a third consecutive final four berth next season, it apparently will have to do it without top scorer Daniel Felman.

Felman's father, Dave, confirmed to The Tampa Bay Times in a recent e-mail that his son, who led the Buccaneers in goals (22) and assists (14) this past season, will forego his senior to compete with the year-round Clearwater Chargers Academy.

The Chargers are one of the U.S. Soccer Federation's two local Development Academy teams on a 10-month training schedule -- September through June -- that conflicts directly with the high school season. The academy's extended training schedule and participation in elite showcase events generally provides greater exposure to college coaches.

The conflict has had a greater impact on Pinellas County prep rosters, though Hillsborough certainly has felt some ripples. Wharton midfielder Jordan Lue, who enjoyed a promising sophomore season in 2012, bypassed his junior year to play for the Chargers.

Just how deeply the allure of academy soccer will bite into the bay area prep talent base remains unclear. Gaither boys coach Eric Sims, executive director of the sprawling Tampa Bay United club program, remains a proponent of the high school product. So do many of his prep peers.

But with the benefits academy soccer affords (i.e. year-round training, elite competition, greater scholarship chances), few doubt it will continue to tug at the high school talent base.

In other news, part of my lunchtime reading was this story in The Post and Courier on why so many recruits flame out. The paper says that 42 percent of Rivals’ top 100 prospects turn out to be busts. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t have anything to do with their physical skills. Check it out.